Some things are not negotiable and don't ever move the ancient boundary stone!

But what about all the other abusers out there?

I previously posted my opinion that the real reason people have come down so hard on Ray Rice is because of a reach back to “outdated” Christian principals of men caring for, watching over and protecting the weaker sex which is of course in direct conflict with the women’s movement for equal rights. It seems ironic that our society finds is so easy to champion Christian values when it suits their agenda and just as easily throw them out the window when those values appear to be too narrow or judgmental as in the case of same sex marriage – which of course raises a whole new problem in the discussion on domestic violence, but I digress.

Now Adrian Peterson and a couple of other prominent football players have been suspended for abuse of a child or spouse. As I stated in my previous post, I was raised that it is wrong to hit women. This and other life lessons were however drilled into my backside with generous amounts of corporal punishment from my parents who loved me deeply and were devoted to my future. Can corporal punishment go too far? Absolutely it can. Did AD go too far? Sounds likely, but that is not the purpose of this blog.

My question is why the focus all of the sudden placed uniquely on football players? What about abuse to spouses or children that has been doled out by parents or spouses who were team owners, lawyers, judges, corporate executives, teachers, coaches, Wall street tycoons, construction workers, pastors, policemen, bakers, movie stars, etc. etc. etc.? I don’t necessarily have the answer, but I do find these “newly” found conviction of conscience being disproportionally applied to football players in comparison to the rest of society. What corporate executive was ever sidelined for something like this? What pop culture icon lost his/her role in the next movie or had their next 4 concerts canceled after giving in to anger?

Is it because a majority of NFL football players come from inner city black neighborhoods? If so why isn’t someone claiming racism? Is it because of all the money they make? Why not cry wealth envy or apply the same standard to Wall Street executive or famous people. Is it because they are big and strong and can more easily hurt? What about brick masons or gym rats who outnumber football players probably 100 to 1. Is it because football is such a “violent” sport? Maybe, but then what about rugby, boxers or MMA fighters?

I don’t really have the answer (although I suspect it lies somewhere in the push for a “kinder gentler” world – not to be necessarily confused with a more Godly world), but I do think the question is well worth asking and doing the hard work of fleshing out the answers.